Council leaders across Cumbria are threatening to mount a legal challenge against the Government after an announcement setting the stage for the destruction of SLDC and five other district councils.

The Government's Boundary Committee this week published its recommendations for the fundamental changes to local government which will follow in the event of a "yes" vote in the referendum on North West regional devolution due this autumn, reports Justin Hawkins.

Cumbrians will be asked to choose between two options for local government.

The first is the creation of a more powerful unitary Cumbria County Council delivering all services currently split between CCC and the six district councils.

The second is the division of the county into two separate unitary authorities, one Morecambe Bay authority consisting of South Lakeland, Barrow and Lancaster and another North Cumbria authority made up of Allerdale, Eden, Copeland and Carlisle.

The proposals, both of which sound the death knell for all existing district councils, have angered council leaders across the county because the options "ignore" representations made by them.

Only Barrow Borough Council, and, south of the border, Lancaster City Council wanted a Morecambe Bay authority option - every other council opposed it.

Following the Boundary Commission announcement this week, district council leaders from South Lakeland, Eden, Allerdale, Copeland and Carlisle issued a joint statement saying: "We are extremely disappointed that the recommendations from the Boundary Committee do not include our preferred option of three unitary authorities for Cumbria and we are seeking, as a matter of urgency, a meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister to put our arguments."

The letter to Mr Prescott says: "Boundary Committee has failed to properly consider and consult on the evidence which the councils made available and has made its recommendations on a subjective basis. The leaders are so concerned about the process they are taking legal advice to see whether a judicial review may be appropriate."

SLDC leader Colin Hodgson said: "We feel that they have just not listened to us. All five councils have signed a letter asking for a meeting with John Prescott - he makes the final decision. We feel we must appeal to him to have another look.

"If we get a single unitary Cumbria it is going to be about Carlisle and Carlisle only. If we end up with a Morecambe Bay authority the big guns are going to look at Lancaster and Barrow - it would be taking it away from people rather than bringing it closer to them."

Mr Hodgson was also worried that jobs would be lost in the reorganisation.

"Jobs are going to be in jeopardy. There will have to be some redundancies because there must be some overlap between district councils," he said.

Happiest among Cumbria's council bosses was Tom Campbell, chief executive of Barrow Borough Council. He said: "We are delighted. It is exactly what Barrow Borough Council has been lobbying for. We think it's the popular option for the people of this area."

CCC is also pleased that its preferred option to see itself take over running all council services for the whole of Cumbria - has been chosen by the Boundary Committee.

The Boundary Committee report says that CCC's recent "weak" performance rating and the serious problems in social services, had given the committee "cause to reflect especially carefully" on a unitary CCC, but it decided that: "such a unitary would be able to build upon economies of scale". CCC leader Rex Toft said: "A unitary Cumbria is the best way to deliver quality services and value for local taxpayers. They are arguments that the Boundary Committee have accepted."